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Ouija Board Helps Psychologists Probe the Subconscious
New Scientist ^ | 7/5/12 | Clare Wilson

Posted on 07/09/2012 7:05:14 AM PDT by marshmallow

Beloved of spiritualists and bored teenagers on a dare, the Ouija board has long been a source of entertainment, mystery and sometimes downright spookiness. Now it could shine a light on the secrets of the unconscious mind.

The Ouija, also known as a talking board, is a wooden plaque marked with the words, "yes", "no" and the letters of the alphabet. Typically a group of users place their hands on a movable pointer , or "planchette", and ask questions out loud. Sometimes the planchette signals an answer, even when no one admits to moving it deliberately.

Believers think the answer comes through from the spirit world. In fact, all the evidence points to the real cause being the ideomotor effect, small muscle movements we generate unconsciously.

That's why the Ouija board has attracted the attention of psychologists at the University of British Columbia in Canada. Growing evidence suggests the unconscious plays a role in cognitive functions we usually consider the preserve of the conscious mind,.

Take driving your car along a familiar route while planning your day. On arrival, you realise you were not in conscious control of the car, it was your "inner zombie", said Hélène Gauchou at the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness conference in Brighton, UK, this week. "How can we communicate with that unconscious intelligence?"

Gauchou's approach is to turn to the Ouija board. To keep things simple her team has just one person with their finger on the planchette at a time. But the ideomotor effect is maximised if you believe you are not responsible for any movements - that's why Ouija board sessions are most successful when used by a group. So the subject is told they will be using the board with a partner. The subject is blindfolded......

(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...


TOPICS: Other non-Christian; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: christian; christianity; darkside; demons; ouija; ouijaboard; psychologists; religion; spiritual; supernatural; worldisgoingbonkers
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To: stuartcr

Revelation 21:8, Acts 16:16-18, Galatians 5:19-21.


41 posted on 07/09/2012 8:38:08 AM PDT by NoGrayZone (For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men to do nothing.)
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To: stuartcr

With my whole heart and soul.


42 posted on 07/09/2012 8:39:07 AM PDT by NoGrayZone (For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men to do nothing.)
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To: stuartcr

I don’t know what it is, probably unconsious, but it definitely taps into something. Me and another guy asked it to tell us a story and it started zinging around spelling out a story and we couldn’t keep up and just quit. I can’t remember the story. I know the other guy wasn’t doing it, you’d have to have known him to know why. And I know I wasn’t doing it. My guess is it was from one of out unconcious minds or from both.


43 posted on 07/09/2012 8:39:38 AM PDT by bkepley
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To: NoGrayZone

Thanx.That must have taken a great leap of faith.


44 posted on 07/09/2012 9:02:24 AM PDT by stuartcr ("When silence speaks, it speaks only to those that have already decided what they want to hear.")
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To: stuartcr

It always does. From your responses, it seems you don’t believe in it.

Or maybe you are trying to learn. Anywho, if you don’t have the faith, I pray you take the “leap”.

God Bless!


45 posted on 07/09/2012 9:05:44 AM PDT by NoGrayZone (For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men to do nothing.)
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To: stuartcr

You’re welcome!


46 posted on 07/09/2012 9:07:19 AM PDT by pallis
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To: bkepley

So you don’t believe you were conversing with the spirit plane?


47 posted on 07/09/2012 9:07:38 AM PDT by stuartcr ("When silence speaks, it speaks only to those that have already decided what they want to hear.")
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To: NoGrayZone

I have no desire to a leap of faith that would have me believing in being able to converse with spirits. Do you believe in vampires and fairies and magic also?


48 posted on 07/09/2012 9:10:32 AM PDT by stuartcr ("When silence speaks, it speaks only to those that have already decided what they want to hear.")
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To: stuartcr
So you don’t believe you were conversing with the spirit plane?

Is that a joke? I don't even know what the "sprit plane" means. My best guess is that when two conscious wills are focused on the device with their fingertips on it, elbows off the table, very smooth surface, the unconcious is in the drivers seat. Just a guess though. There's plenty we don't understand about consciousness.

49 posted on 07/09/2012 9:16:48 AM PDT by bkepley
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To: stuartcr

Vampires and fairies aren’t mentioned in the Bible verse’s I gave you. However, conversing with spirits are.

When people go to a “physic” and think they are speaking w/ dead granny, they aren’t.

They are speaking w/ a demon, pretending to be dead granny. They know us as much as He does.....only, they use this information AGAINST us.


50 posted on 07/09/2012 9:17:22 AM PDT by NoGrayZone (For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men to do nothing.)
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To: bkepley

I don’t either, but there seems to be a number of freepers that do.


51 posted on 07/09/2012 9:18:36 AM PDT by stuartcr ("When silence speaks, it speaks only to those that have already decided what they want to hear.")
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To: NoGrayZone

OK, thanx


52 posted on 07/09/2012 9:20:44 AM PDT by stuartcr ("When silence speaks, it speaks only to those that have already decided what they want to hear.")
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To: stuartcr
This spirit plane?


53 posted on 07/09/2012 9:21:46 AM PDT by PT57A
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To: PT57A

Probably


54 posted on 07/09/2012 9:24:53 AM PDT by stuartcr ("When silence speaks, it speaks only to those that have already decided what they want to hear.")
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To: massgopguy

The “true” story behind the Exorcist started with a ouija board. The possessed boy’s aunt was into the occult and played with ouija boards and included her nephew some of the time. She died and he tried contacting her through a ouija board. That is when the SHTF.

They originally thought the trouble was the ghost of the Aunt, but when the boy started speaking fluently in foreign languages and showing extaordinary strength, combined with objects flying around the room and bloody scratches appearing on his skin, that is when those observing decided....well maybe its not the aunt. After taking the boy for extensive psychiatric evaluation and therapy, to no avail, Exorcists were brought in. They finally succeeded in “curing” the boy and he did not remember any of it. He went on to live a happy life.

I agree, do not mess with ouija boards. Even if you believe that it only taps the subconcious and there is nothing supernatural about it, many people have been documented to have gone insane after using the board.

Stoker Hunt conducted an extensive study on the danger of ouija boards:

http://www.amazon.com/Ouija-The-Most-Dangerous-Game/dp/0060923504


55 posted on 07/09/2012 9:27:48 AM PDT by HerrBlucher ("The cross opens its arms to the four winds; it is a signpost for free travelers." GK Chesterton)
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To: stuartcr

You’re welcome! =)


56 posted on 07/09/2012 9:32:27 AM PDT by NoGrayZone (For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men to do nothing.)
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To: Lazamataz

It still doesn’t even describe a five block radius around her house, let alone the universe.


57 posted on 07/09/2012 9:43:36 AM PDT by Ted Grant
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To: stuartcr
I won't discuss it on this forum but Freepmail me if you like.
58 posted on 07/09/2012 10:05:31 AM PDT by tractorman (I never miss a chance to tweak a liberal.)
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To: Grams A

Most people think it’s a toy.


59 posted on 07/09/2012 10:08:20 AM PDT by tractorman (I never miss a chance to tweak a liberal.)
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To: marshmallow
A personal acquaintance of mine manifested a demon during a church service of about 2,000 people at a prominent megachurch. He stood up and began shouting that he was the christ. A bunch of guys tackled him and got him down and tried to cast the demon out but failed so they kicked him out of the service. Outside in the parking lot he took all his clothes off and walked around naked until the cops showed up and hauled him off to the psych ward.

He told me he thought the demon entered him when he played with a ouija board when he was 8 years old.

FWIW

60 posted on 07/09/2012 10:16:52 AM PDT by Manic_Episode (Tom Hoefling for President - 2012)
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